Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-19
RHEA'S AMENDMENT.
TIE SENATE DISCUSSES ARD THEN
4 REJECTS IT.
II Needs q Votes and Only Gets Is Final
Report Of the Legislative
Debt Committee.

was bis resolution proposing an amend
ment TO the Constitution forever barrlns
the States bonds, principal and interest,
not funded into new 3's by the time OF the
adoption Of the amendment by the people.
Mr.: Sinbbs, " no had The floor at the hour
Of adjournment on Tuesday, proceeded 20
give his reasons for supporting The amend
mcnt. and spoke for tbiIty-fye minutes.
and caustlcaly criticised the action OF the
commissioners IN leciuriug our committee
and condemniug the Legislature for king
what they considered extravagant appro-
prIailons for the public schools. maimed
soldiers, and our public institutions.
DEFENDS SIR EDWARD.
Mr.. Wickham rose 10 a question OF per.
sonal privilege and read the following ex-
tract from a speech made the day before by
Mr.. Mcdonald. OF Northumberland, IN 90.
position 10 the constitutional amendment
TO which his attention had been directed:
These people are playing deep game
This is not the first ume Sir Edward Thorn.on
as been interested In Virginia bonds. an
credibly Informed that he helped 30 WORK
through the Legislature Of 1877 the famous Nc
Culloch bill, and II he is capable Of put'ingup
a Job Of That sind think IL vas your duty 70
put him under heavy bond not . attempt that
game dkdl.. II X tdiu thhl Mtl h4iSth II aye
i1,WO,CC0 out Of that settlement, aud perhaps
he shared it with Sir Edward. The British
are famous fer thie sort Of work.
MIR. WicLham laid that be. a. a member
Of The committee which conferred with TIE
bor dholdCr,' representatives, u 'S.Fs
Thornton and Braiihwaite, desired ~ cnter
his protest against what bad been said hg
Mr.. NcIonald; tia. sir Edward was
perfect gentleman Of the highest type; tl8i
he had nothing on earth TO 90 Witl iir
passago q the McCuloch Dill. aud lid
never had anything 10 % with NirgntF,
dcbt.uutii requested by the bondhol1cr, 10
come bore With Mr.. BraithwMte.
Mr.. Mcdonald asked Sir. Wickham up1n
whose authority be made this statement.
Mr.. Wickham Upon th1to Sir Edward
Thornton. " no told ne 80 "
Mr.. Mcdonald said his Information cane
Though reporter fOr q Washington paper.
"and YOU know" he continued, we have
lo 90 10 these gentlemen for Information on
general subjects, and uule.s the gentleman
from Haroycr has good authority upon
which 10 base what he IA. said, shall con-
tirue to believe ~ now DO"
Mr.. Wickh2m, very emphatically: | do
deny 1t, sir, upon my responsibility Is
man and as a senator on this floor.
Mr.. Mcdonald: am satisfied with you
IS authority.
DISMISS THEN.
Mr. CauScy Republcanl oi Nansemond,
moved TO dismiss the resolution. lie was
willing TO pas, bill giving the bondhodcr-
a certain length OF time in winch 10 ludd.
hut at considerable length opposed the con.
stilutional amendment. lie proceeded b.
condemn tie Democrats for taking step, 10
TCpudate the debt, when q few years ago
they declared this Highway robbery, &c.
Mr.. Twyma1, interrupting Mr.. CIu3ey,
said that all that the Democrats proposed b.
do was % enforce the settlement which the
RidGlebCrgcr bllI proposed to make.
80 BLOT on THE STATE.
Mr.. Williams, from legal stlndpoiui,
held that the amendment would be consti.
tutional II endorsed by the people as re-
corded by their votes at the polls. He said
this was no more reputation than the Rid
dlcbcIger bill. which had not been charao-
teriZcd by those antagoniZing thi, measure
o. wrong either morally, legally, or cqutl.
.bly. This amendment only sought to en-
force the fair settlement which the STATE
had offered; 10 make these people come
In and accept what The UCoplc OF the state
haV G declared j. all thai j. due thcp, AMI ihps
put the old down troddcn St1.eh cDndi-
tion TO pay this debt and outcr the march
10 progress. lie eloQuellIy aad fOTcibly
Ccnied that this measure will east blot on
The safes fair name, a. she hos not denic1
any obligation. but only demands nov,
when her resources for a settlement have
been exhausted, that the bOndholderS shall
accept her terms, and thcn She can proceed
10 carry out that contract and proceed 10
receive the benefits Of increased wealth
which the bonGbOlders predict are In store
Tor her. Mr.. Wilkins made one " the
best speeches delivered at This session, ana
claimed the att ntiOn Of both ihc mem.
hers ci tie Senate and the large number OF
spectators present.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL,
Mr.. Mccormick made a vigOro,l, argu.
ment in opposition 10 the amendmenf. Tao
pondhOlder> have vested rights, which The
Legislature has no more right or power f.
interfere with than 10 destroy toe effect oi
private debt or the possession Of rell
estate. lie closed by saying he would vote
against the amendment because he thought
it was idle, vain, obnoxious, uDWise, mex
pCdiCnt, lmpOliiic, and unconstitutional;
and be desired TO leave 10 his cnIldrcu
some better legacy than that their father,
as q representative of the people, voted 10
destroy the honor OF the State. which
would cause them forever 10 hang their
heads i'm shame.
OTHER SPEECHES.
Nj. Staples urged that the amendment
was constitutional, and quoted the decision
Of the Supreme Court Oi the United HtItcs
in the Louisiana case az applicable 10 Nir.
ginia and as sustaining hIs position. ln
reply TO what had been SAID by Mr.. Ne.
CoTmck about the legacy to- be LIT hi
children. he SAID that he desired il Away
to be said that he had fulfilled the olth
@mch he took to protect the best Interests
Of the state.
Mr.. KOiGer was willing to vote for mcl.
sure destroying the coupons, but could
not vote for one barring the principal.
though he was exceedingly desirous
that this matter should be forever
settled. lie was very severe in his
denunciaiiOn Of the persons able to pa,
their taxes IN money who use coupons,
while the poorer but truer and more pl-
trioiic sons OF the old Commonwealth pay
In money dollar for dollar. lie entertained
for iLesc men no other feeling than that oi
contempt. prolonged appIausel
TINE PROLONGED.
When the hour OF , o'clock-the time set
for voting on the adoption Of the resolll.
ions-arriyed, Oh motion Of Mr.. Rhea, the
r, solution fixing the time was resciDded, il
being generally understood that vote
would lie taken before adjournment.
Mr.. Causfy withdrew b's motion to dis
miss. and all OF the amendments offered on
Tuesday bad been either withdrawn or
voted down.
Mr. Warwick said he would vote for the
amendment, although 1t was repulslye to
him. His people, he knew. desired /,
vote on the subject, and Ibis was IA rIght
which Le wished, as their representative,
to accord them.
Nr. Rbea, the patron Of the resolutions,
closed The discussion, strongly urging their
adoption. He made good speech, which
was received with applause.
THE VOTE.
At 3:2j vote was taken, and the substi-
tuie offered by Mr. Rbel tO his original
smendment was adopted. The vote on the
adoption OF I eIcs0iutiors as amended by
the substitute resulted as follows:
AYEs-Messrs. Colrane. Dalton, Edmunds,
Flanery, Keezell. Lovenstein, Petit, Read.
khea, Staples, stubbs, Thurman, Twyman,
Warwick. and Willlams-l5
NORs.-Messrs. Berry, Blackstone, Causey,
Dggs, Ellyson. Gordon, Grim, HeatOn, Hodges,
Hurt. Jones. Kolner. Mccormick. Mcdonald,
Mr.. Rhea, before the result was an-
nounced, changed his vote and at the pro-
per tme moved 10 reconsider.